Quiet

First topic message reminder :

You can't tell the weather is getting a bit crap and everyone is starting to put their toys away (hats off to you commuters  ).  

I think it's quiet since we're not 100% sure yet and there's a possibility of getting out again before parking the two wheelers up, or getting around to those minor maintenance jobs we've been putting off.


Here's a tip: If it's dry for an hour or so, take it for a clean at least.
I constantly forget to do this and have fungus growing out of the dead bugs on the front fairing by Christmas.  

bobh wrote:What's all this about bad weather?  I went to Mallory on Sunday to support a mate who was racing

Mallory is an awesome track  

mrfrance wrote:It certainly is easy to understand why people don't want to use the bike in winter, I guess I must have something wrong with me as I have the choice of the car but for some reason I just prefer the freedom 2 wheels gives you (especially when there's road works). I seem to have mastered taking my gear off so quickly I hardly notice the effort... Of course when the ice hits (snow is ok) then I have to retreat (stay in bed and 'work' from home)  

I had a job on in Inverness a few years ago around this time of year and ran into a blizzard just north of Aviemore that left three inches of snow on the road.

At the end of the day it all boils down to current location, field of employment, equipment required and area covered.
A straight commute to a 9~5 office job via main trunk routes is going to be far more doable than covering the whole of Scotland at short notice 24/365.

I quite liked Mallory but felt Cadwell is better suited to the cat.

The bigger engined bikes did better at Mallory but it was still good fun getting past them on the corners.
Cadwell levelled the playing field a bit more.

Sunburn in September

I got sunburnt skiing in Glencoe years back, it was glorious.  

I made two mistakes that day though.

I had used high SPF lotion, but forgot to put any under my chin, earlobes and (most painful) the septum of my nose.
(That was the day I learned about UV reflective properties snow)  

The other was stripping down to a t-shirt and then momentarily catching an edge on The Flypaper, resulting in the icy cheese grater equivalent of Road Rash and a patch of my left forearm stripped down to the meat.  

Wooster wrote:At the end of the day it all boils down to current location, field of employment, equipment required and area covered.
A straight commute to a 9~5 office job via main trunk routes is going to be far more doable than covering the whole of Scotland at short notice 24/365.

I agree, my previous commutes in the snow have been main 'city' routes so it doesn't settle quickly enough to form ice etc. ..my new job location is however country roads so I will certainly have to consider carefully before taking the risk to ride should it snow (fortunately I have the option to work from home).
And yes we don't get snow like you down here lol!

...So in short should I be living in different circumstances, I may not be so enthusiastic about staying on 2 wheels throughout the year.

Everyone should assess their risks individually and decide for themselves if they are able to put themselves and their bikes through the somewhat 'harsh' conditions winter can bring, taking into consideration some of the hazards as described by Wooster... What ever anybody decides to do, stay safe, stay warm and we shall ride again!

sorry for the cheese

No need for cheese apologies.

Every option will have it's own inherent risks and benefits.
Even commuting in a reasonable climate in winter will throw up problems with freezing fog, oil and diesel spills, salt spray, people neglecting to fill their screenwash bottles (or the contents freezing) and driving damn near blind, driving into a low Sun with spray being kicked up.
Biggest benefit on a bike though is always going to be the ability to filter through traffic and cutting possibly hours off the journey time in the event of an RTI somewhere down the road.

The longest I've ever been delayed is maybe three or four hours, but I'm sure that's pretty minor in the face of some delays those of you living down south have faced.

Having bought a triumph Tbird cruiser, my cat will be coming out the garage now the weathers turning, I love my commute to work swooping through the Cotswolds and believe me the cat way better than the triumph as a commuter through traffic or through crappy weather, just a shame the headlight restricts the fun coming home at 8pm.

I dont use my bike for work because I visit peoples homes as part of my role and CBA with the kitting up process, my journeys only 11 miles and It doesnt bother me too much if im delayed as I get to eat my brekkie as Im driving lol.
 
Downside is I work in the Peak District and Im sure my visits would be far more fun on the bike but way too mcuh hassle.
 
No way would I attempt the journey in the winter as one of the hills I have to drive down is a 20% one lol and its bad enough in the car.

One of the GP's I work with uses his bike all year round and gets his visits done way before anyone else lol, fair play!

My poor cat won't be going away. all year round for him i'm afraid